up stream
by ShadowDown
Summary: its been two years since chihiro left the bathhouse, but she sill remembers it and misses kohaku. then her and her parents go camping. (sorry. sumarie sucks)
1. camping?

Bob: welcome

Shadow: the run down: Chihiro returns to the human world, lalalalal. We all know that. But she remembers everything. There. Oh, and it's been two years.

Chloie: you know, they could just read it and figure that out.

Shadow: no need for the attitude.

Chloie: whatever.

Shadow: shut up

Chloie: did I say anything?

Shadow: yes.

Chloie: glare

Bob: at-hem. On with the story.

Buri: SUGAR!!!! runs past, waving her arms wildly.

Bob: ooookay --;

Shadow: but on with the story

Chihiro: hey! What about the disclaimer.

Shadow: oh. Ya. Well, I don't own it, so live with it.

Chihiro: you're grouchy today.

Bob: she's always grouchy.

Shadow: I head that! cue flames of doom!

Bob: eep! runs away

Shadow: well, that's him taken care of. Now, scroll down and read the story while I kill every one else. MUAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!! evil laugh

Everyone else: eep! runs

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"Honey? Are you packing?" Chihiro sat up and looked at the door to her room as her mothers voice floated up the stairs.

"Packing?" Chihiro stood up and walked over to the door. "Where are we going?" she yelled.

"Camping! Get packed. We leave the day after tomorrow."

Chihiro shrugged and walked back into her room. Camping? Why where they going camping? She sighed. It had been two years since the bathhouse adventure. They had arrived at the house 2 weeks later and argued profusely with the movers. Chihiro was the only one who remembered what had happened in that time. She sighed again. She missed Kohaku. Grudgingly, she pulled a cloth bag out of her closet and began to fill it with clothes. After her clothes, she put in the necessities and added a book and a swimsuit. Flipping the lights off, she quietly left the room. she didnt notice that her old bathhouse uniform was missing from its hiding spot in her desk.

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ok. sorry. very short chapter


	2. river!

As the car bumped along down the rocky dirt road, Chihiro was reminded of the ride through the wood that had ended in the bath house. Looking down at her 6 month old baby sister who sat next to her, she smiled. Emi was the only reminder that two years had passed, and that they weren't headed up the road to the bathhouse. Se sighed and turned to look back at the trees flashing past her window. She seemed to be doing that a lot. She shook her head.

"chi-chi?" asked the high-pitched voice of Emi. Chirhro smiled again and tickled Emis open palm. Emi screeched in delight, closing her fist and waving her little arms. Chihiro smiled and poked her nose. More screeches.

When they arrived at the camp sight, both girls where sleeping peacefully in the backseat.

"Chihiro. Chihiro. We're almost there." came the soft voice of her mother. (Shadow: she actually said that in the movie :) im so brilliant)

"Hmm?" Chihiro yawned and stretched, careful not to wake Emi. The car stopped by a flattened dirt patch and her father cut the engine. Her parents exited the car and proceeded to set up the tent, letting the girls rest some more. When that was done, her mother carefully extracted both sleeping girls. Chihiro squinted in the sunlight filtering through the trees, and gasped in delight when she heard the sound of running water.

"Can I go explore? Can I? Can I?" her mother laughed at her eagerness and nodded. Chihiro bounded through the woods till the river came into sight. It was a wide river, but not deep. The crystal clear water ran over smooth rocks and chilled her feet when she stepped in. she giggled and splashed around a bit before lying down on a rock warmed by the sun and swirling her toes in the chilly waters. She sighed. _Ack! Gotta stop doing that. What is that? Twice in one day? Ok. Maybe that's not too much, but still._ She relaxed again, stopping the mental beating. "I miss Kohaku." She said aloud. The river did not answer her. _I have a strange feeling about this place. It seems familiar for some reason._

"Chihiro!" she got up and put back on her shoes and socks before returning to the camp sight.


	3. found him! and more complications

Tu fatuus- argh! Your to smart!

Natasha- hehe :) here you go

Gone With The Wind- thanks!

Jessica- hehe. Not exactly quick…

KatzEye- glad you like it.

Thinking about it, glad you all like it! Thanks for the reviews!

Do you know how hard it was to write this chapter? My computer is being annoying, and it kept erasing the letter after the thing I tried to change. Has that ever happened to you? Any ways… I think I'm just trying to make this harder for myself, but whatever. (I could have just stuck with a nice, fluffy ending here, but NOOO. I have to complicate things. Hmph. I'm stupid)

That night, the four of them ate their corn on the cob by a warm fire.

"Emi! Look!" emi followed chihiros gaze and saw millions of glowing green lights circling the dark sky.

"What are they chi-chi?" emi gazed in wonder at the swirling lights.

"Fireflies" she answered.

"They're beautiful" whispered her mother. Emi squeaked as one landed on her nose, crossing her eyes to peer cautiously at it. She shrieked and waved her arms, scaring the small bug away. Chihiro laughed.

"You silly goose!"

"He's scary." Her sister sniffed.

"No he's not." She caught one in her hand, staring at it closely.

"Yes they are." Her sister said defiantly, crossing her arms and turning her head away. "Yak!" she shrieked and jumped up as they came closer, glaring as her sister laughed. "Its not funny chi-chi!" she protested.

"Of course not, goose." Chihiro smiled and got up. "Come on. Time for bed."

Chihiro tossed and turned, listening to the snores of her sister as she tried vainly to get to sleep. Sighing, she settled on her side and watched the glow of the fireflies around her tent. Quietly, she slipped out of her sleeping bag and unzipped the tent flap, shivering as she stood on the cold ground outside her tent. She quietly zipped the zipper back up, running her hands up and down her arms in a poor attempt to warm herself. A light breeze tossed her now long hair and lifted her long shirt. Shivering, chihiro headed towards the stream careful to be quiet as she passed her parents tent. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was supposed to be there, and ignored the nagging voice at the back of her head telling her to turn around.

As she pushed back the last branch separating her from the stream, she gasped at the beauty of the spectacle before her. Tinny fireflies were rampant, illuminating the stream with a soft light. The stream itself seemed to be glowing, the perfectly round, smooth stones pulsing slightly with a blue brilliance. She sat down on the flat rock she had laid on that morning, swirling her toes in the cold waters.

"I wish haku could be here." She said out loud. This time, she got an answer. A soft breeze blew across her face, bringing the familiar scent of bath salts.

"Haku?" she sat up, and gasped in delight as she saw the tall boy before her. "Haku!" she cried, jumping off her stone and flinging her arms around him.

"Chihiro!" he said, surprised. After the initial shock wore off, he wrapped his arms around her and breathed in her familiar scent of flowers. After a while, chihiro got tired of standing on tiptoe and released him.

"You cut your hair!" he realized, fingering the long dark strands. She blushed.

"You like it?" he smiled.

"It's beautiful." Her blush deepened. Then something occurred to her.

"How did you get here?" haku looked thoughtful.

"You know, I don't really know." He stared off into space, pondering it. "I thought you said my river was filled in."

"It was!" chihiro insisted.

"Hmm…." Haku looked around. "I know! This must be the Kohaku River!"

Chihiro looked confused.

"But it was filled in!"

"I know. But this must be the main tributary!" he looked at her, eyes sparkling, and grabbed her hands. "You did it again chihiro! You found my river! Now I can stay here in the human world with you and never work for ubaba again!" chihiro took a moment to register the words. Haku…stay here….human world….forever…with her… she shrieked in joy and hugged him again. She sniffed happily, looking at haku.

"Can you really?"

"Yes chihiro. I can stay with you now," she smiled again and hugged him tighter. But then something crushed her moment of joy.

"Where will you stay?" haku frowned.

"I don't know" he admitted.

"Oh no! What will we do…" chihiro frowned, fraught with worry. She began to bit her finger in agitation.

"Chihiro," haku said softly, pulling her fingers out of her mouth. "I'm the spirit of the Kohaku River. I'll manage." She smiled gratefully and pulled on his hand softly. The sky was getting light, and she needed to get back to her tent.

"I need to go back to my tent."

"I can't go with you." She frowned.

"Why not?"

"I'm a mysterious boy who randomly popped up in the night. I don't think that would go over to well with your parents." Chihiros frown deepened.

"What about emi? She might be alright with you."

"Who?"

"My sister. She's two." Haku frowned.

"I'm not sure about this…."But chihiro tugged his hand and he reluctantly followed her.


End file.
